Warning signal



Nov. 11, 1952 J. INSUL 2,617,381

WARNING SIGNAL Filed April 13, 1945 fizz/rzfo 7": J'ack [725 a Z jifo 772655- Patented Nov. 1 1, 1 952 UNITED STATES WARNING SIGNAL Jack Insul, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 13, 1945, Serial No. 588,229

Claims.

This invention relates to a gas stove warning signal and, more particularly, to warning signals which may be employed upon a household gas stove for the purpose of indicating that the gas valve control handle, and the gas valve controlled thereby, are in an open, or partially open, position.

It has been found from experience that the gas valves of household gas stoves may be disposed in a partially opened position and cause sufficient leakage of gas to be dangerous without causing suflicient gas flow to be ignited by the usual; pilot light or lights employed in connection with such gas stoves.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved gas stove warning signal which is so constructed and arranged that it will positively indicate that the gas valve with which it is employed is in an open, or partially open, position even though the pilot light employed in conjunction therewith is not ignited.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved gas stove warning signal which is readily visible at night, or in dark places, as well as being readily visible in the daytime.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows preferred embodiments of the invention and the principles thereof and What I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

Fig. 1 i a perspective view of a household gas stove having a preferred form of the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a preferred form of the present invention as associated with a gas stove valve control handle and showing the said handle, and the new warning signal associated therewith, as they appear when the handle is in valve-closing position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the gas valve control handle and associated warning signal illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View partly in section and partly in elevation of the gas valve control handle and associated warning signal illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 but showing the warning signal in effective or warning position;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional plan viewshow ing the socket provided in the gas valve control handle and the gravity-attracted warning element or ball arranged therein and showing the warning element or ball in the position which it assumes in the said socket when the gas valve control handle is in its normal and valve-closing position;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional plan view on line 6-6 in Fig. 4 showing the position of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5 when the gas valve control handle is in valve-opening position;

Fig. '7 1s a view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating a modified form of the invention; a part of the handle being broken away to show the interior thereof; V

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view illustrating another modification of the invention and showing the parts thereof in the position in which they are arranged when the gas valve control handle is in valve-closing position;

Fig. 9 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 8 in the position which they assume when the gas valve control handle is in open position, part of the front wall of the outer cylindrical handle member being broken away to show the internal construction of the parts;

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view on line l0-l0 in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a, sectional view on line ll--I| in Fig. 5 showing the normal position of the gravityattracted warning signal ball.

A preferred form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and Fig. 11, of the drawings and is therein shown as associated with the gas valve control handle I5 of a conventional gas stove I6. Gas valve control handles, such as l5, are commonly made of porcelain, or like material, and comprise a body I! in which an opening is provided for the reception of a gas valve control shaft l8, of conventional design.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and Fig. 11 I provide in the porcelain body I? of the gas valve control handle I5 a normally horizontally extending socket l9 which extends inwardly from one side edge 20 of the handle I5 to a point within the interior of the handle body l7. At its outer end this socket I9 is closed by a convex transparent glass or plastic sight opening or window 2! which projects outwardly at the side 20 of the handle body II. In this form of the invention I arrange within the socket IS a gravity-attracted warning signal element in the form of a ball 22.

In the use of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and Fig. 11, the gravitying position. However,

attracted warning signal element or ball 22 is normally disposed at the inner end of the socket l9 when the gas valve control handle I5 is in its normal and valve-closing position, as in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 11. To this end the socket I9 is then inclined slightly from the horizontal as shown in Fig. 11. However, when the gas valve control handle l5 is moved into valve-opening position, as in Figs. 4 and 6, the gravity-attracted warning signal element or ball 22 travels by gravity to the outer end of the socket l9 and falls into the convex transparent sight opening or window 2| and when disposed in this position it may readily be seen and indicates that the gas valve control handle I5 is in at least partially opened position.

In order to enable the gravity-attracted warning signal element or ball 22 to be seen at night, or in dark places, the ball 22 may be coated with luminescent or phosphorescent paint or the like and, further to increase the visibility of the ball 22, the sight opening or window 2| may be made of a magnifying glass or like material.

-Amodification of the invention is illustrated ln;Fig. 7 and those parts-thereof which correspondto similar parts in the form of theinvention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, and Fig. 11,-have been given similar reference'numerals followed by the additional reference letter a.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 I mount upon the gas valve control shaft |8a a gravity-attracted warning signalelement, which is generally indicated at 23, and which is in the form of a pendulum having a cylindrical-hubor bearing portion 24 which floats upon the-shaft Mia. The pendulum warning signal 23 also-has a pendulum weight 25 at its lower-end-and at its upper end it is provided with-a preferably red colored warning signal or flag 26.

In the form of the invention shown in 7 I provide in the body 11a of the handle -|5a a cavity 21 and in one side wall of the body 11a of the handle |5a I'provide an opening or slot 28 which extends into the cavity '21 whereas in the opposite side wall of the body |1a of the handle |5a I provide an opening or slot 29 which extends into the cavity 21.

In the use of the form of the invention shown in Fig. '7 the gravity-attracted warning signal element 23 is at all times suspended invertical position by means of its pendulum weight -2 5' and is entirely concealed within the cavity 21 in'the handle body Ila: when the handle |5ais in normal or valve-closing position. However,-when the handle |5a is turned in a position to move the gasvalve control shaft l-8a intovalve-opening position, as shown in Fig. 7,-the warning signal element or flag 25projects-outwardlythrough the'opening or slot 29 so that it may readily be seen andthus indicates that the handle- 5aand the gas valve control shaft |8a arein valve-openwhen the handle |5a and the'gas valve control shaft |3a are returned to normal or valve-closing position the warning signal element or flag 26 willagain pass through-the opening or slot 29 into the cavity 21 in the body 11a of the handle element |5a.

It will be noted that in the use of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the pendulum weight 25 is likewisenormallydisposed-within the cavity 21 in the body He of the handle element |5a when the handle |-5a and the gasvalve control shaft |8d are in normal orvalve-closing position. However, when the handle |5aand-the shaft |8a are moved into valve-opening position,

as in Fig. '1, the pendulum weight 25 passes through the opening or slot 28 into the position in which it is shown in Fig. '7. However, when the handle |5a is again returned to normal position the pendulum weight 25 returns through the opening or slot 28 into the cavity 21 in the body |1a of the handle l5a.

Another modification of the invention is illustrated in the Figs. 8, 9 and 10 and is therein generally indicated at 39. This form of the invention is shown as being associated with the gas valve control shaft lBb of a gas valve of a gas stove such as IE5.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I mount upon the gas valve control shaft |8b, for rotation therewith, a substantially cylindrical handle member or knob 3| having a diskshaped front wall 32 which is provided with a row of sight openings 33. This cylindrical handle member 3| has an inwardly extending cylindrical hub portion 33 which may be attached to the shaft |8b in any suitable manner and which is attached at its front end to the disc-shaped front wall 32 of the cylindricalhandle member 3|. In this form of the invention I also provide, within the substantially cylindrical outer and handle member 3!, a second substantially cylindrical member 34 having a cylindrical hub portion-35 which floats upon the smaller hub portion 35-01! the outer cylindrical handle member or knob 3| which is attached to the shaft |8b. Attached to and suspended from the hub portion 35 of the inner cylindrical member 34 is a weight 3l. The inner cylindrical member 34 also includes a discshaped front wall 38 which is provided with a row of preferably red colored warning signal areas or segments 39.

In the use of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the inner cylindrical handle member or knob 34 and its hub portion 35 float upon the smaller hub portion 35 of the outer cylindrical handle-member or knob 3| and are maintained by the pendulum or weight 31in such a position that the red colored warning signal areas 39 provided on the disc-shaped front wall 38 of the inner cylindrical member 34 are disposed out of registration with the sight openings 33 in the front and disc-shaped wall of the outer cylindrical handle member or knob 3|. However, when the outer cylindrical handle member or knob 3| and the shaft-Nib operated thereby are turned into valve-opening position the sight openings 33 in the front wall 32 of the outer cylindrical handle member or knob 3| are moved into registration with thered colored warning signal areas or segments 39 on the front wall 38 of the inner cylindrical member 34, thereby rendering the said red colored warning signal areas 39 visible and thereby indicating that the handle member 3| and the gas valve control shaft |8b operated thereby are in valve-opening position, and that the gas valve controlled thereby is-in at least partially open position.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and improved gas stove warning signal device, and thus has the desirable advantages and characteristics, and accomplishes its intended objects, including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention.

Hence, while I have illustratedand described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A gas stove warning signal, comprising a rotatable gas valve control shaft, a manually operable control handle mounted upon the said gas valve control shaft and having an elongated socket formed therein and the said socket having an end portion providing a sight opening therein, and a gravity-attracted warning signal element in said socket, said gravity-attracted signal element being normally disposed in a substantially concealed position in said socket but moving by gravity into the portion of said socket providing said sight opening when the said gas valve control handle is manually moved into a position to move the said gas valve control shaft into valve-opening position.

2. A gas stove warning signal device as defined in claim 1 in which said gravity-attracted warning signal element embodies a substance rendering it self-luminous so that it may readily be seen in the dark when the said gravity-attracted warning signal element is disposed in that portion of the said socket which provides the said sight opening.

3. A gas stove warning signal device as defined in claim 1 in which said handle comprises a porcelain body and in which the said socket is formed in the said porcelain body of the said handle and in which the said socket has a transparent window at one end thereof providing the said sight opening therein.

4. An on-oif indicator for indicating the rotary position of a control shaft rotatable between a normal position and an actuated position, said indicator comprising a manually operable control handle adapted to be operatively mounted upon said control shaft for moving said shaft between said normal and actuated positions, an elongated socket disposed in said handle, said socket having a transparent end portion providing a sight opening, and a gravity-attracted warning signal element mounted in said socket, said signal element being normally disposed in substantially concealed position in the opposite end portion of said socket from said one end portion but moving by gravity into exposed position in said one end portion of said socket when said control handle is moved to rotate said shaft from said normal position to an actuated position.

5. An on-off indicator for indicating the rotary position of a control shaft rotatable between a normal position and an actuated position, said indicator comprising a manually operable control handle adapted to be operatively mounted on such a shaft for moving said shaft between said normal and actuated positions, an elongated socket disposed in said handle, said socket having a transparent end portion projecting outwardly from said handle to provide a sight opening, and a gravity-attracted warning signal element mounted in said socket, said gravity-attracted signal element being normally disposed in a substantially concealed position within said handle but moving by gravity into said end portion of said socket when said handle is manually rotated to rotate said shaft from said normal position to said actuated position.

JACK INSUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 487,445 Miller Dec. 6, 1892 740,491 Tilley Oct. 6, 1903 783,447 Meloon Feb. 28, 1905 1,540,319 Eisele June 2, 1925 1,842,384 Blanchard Jan. 26, 1932 2,104,520 Jackson et al Jan. 4, 1938 2,104,521 Jackson et al. Jan. 4, 1938 2,109,054 Soreng et al. Feb. 22, 1938 2,269,503 Zimmerman Jan. 13, 1942 2,353,586 Reininger July 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 278,676 Great Britain July 19, 1928 

